


Snow Elves of Skyrim

by FluffyPaws



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Elves, Lore - Freeform, Skyrim - Freeform, Snow Elves, mer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 18:30:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4716209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffyPaws/pseuds/FluffyPaws
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A descendant of Snow Elves recounts what little he has learned of the ancient Falmer and their lives in Skyrim.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snow Elves of Skyrim

**Snow Elves of Skyrim**

**Lord Kyndriel of Luxurene**

Tamriel has played host to humans since the Merethic Era. The Altmer of High Rock welcomed the Nedes, and the offspring of Altmeri and Nedic unions would result in Bretons. The Ayleids took the route of enslaving their Nedes, a move that is widely regarded as natural and only proper by even modern Altmeri society, despite the cruelties that led to the Cyrod humans resenting Elvenkind for thousands of years. But today we shall focus on the Snow Elves, who disappeared in the early First Era, murdered, enslaved, exiled, driven into hiding by the very Nedes they welcomed into their lands.

These Atmorans, back in the Merethic Era, decided that Skyrim belonged to them. This battle cry echoed for thousands of years, endangering most Mer north of the Abecean Sea. The Nords are largely responsible for the destruction of Snow Elven lives and culture.

This is a lonely Snow Elf's attempt to record the history and culture of the long lost Falmer.

**A Brief History**

The Snow Elves began their legacy like all other Tamrielic Mer. They were once High Elves, who for their own reasons left the Summerset Isles in the Merethic Era. This particular group of High Elves chose to make their home in the vast, mountainous tundra. They claimed hundreds of miles spanning from the Jeralls to the Sea of Ghosts, between the Druadachs and the Velothi range. They also claimed a few islands near the border of Morrowind. Their mainland territory nearly encircled by great mountains, the Snow Elves creatively named their lands Skyrim.

In Skyrim, they established numerous small kingdoms and fiefdoms in the manner of other High Elves, such as the Altmer of High Rock and Cyrodiil and Summerset. They built great cities in the forests of Falkreath and the Rift, along the coasts of what are now Winterhold and the Pale, and high in the mountains. They also enjoyed the great plains of Whiterun and the coasts of Haafingar. Wherever Nords can now be found in Skyrim, High Elves were there thousands of years ago.

It was not long before these Mer adapted somewhat to their new home, as Aldmer were wont to do, becoming the Snow Elves.

**The Snow Elves**

One might think that Snow Elves would be completely white, like the very snow they were named for. However, this is not the case. This is evidenced by, among other things, surviving Snow Elven artworks hidden in secluded mountain valleys and Dwemer ruins. These mer chose to depict themselves in dark stone, despite an abundance of lighter stone and metal – an artistic choice not found in Altmeri or Ayleid culture. Even their statues of Auri-El were carved from dark stone. Many Snow Elves had skin colors ranging from light to deep shades of brown.

They also boasted a unique resistance to cold. While Nords brag of their tolerance for chilly weather, they still need their furs and are liable to freeze to death the same as any human. Snow Elves, on the other hand, could survive in extremely cold temperatures.

**Merethic Diplomacy**

The Snow Elves had friends in most of their neighbors: the High Rock Altmer, the Chimer of Morrowind, and the Ayleids of Cyrodiil. The High Rock Altmer were a special case, for the Druadachs were shared with them and they established a number of mountain settlements where they lived in harmony. These settlements would eventually welcome Bretons as well.

However, like the Chimer, the Snow Elves had little trust for the Dwemer. They mostly left each other alone. The same treatment was applied to Orsimer.

With little contact, they found neither alliance nor conflict with the Bosmer of Valenwood or the Khajiit of Elsweyr. But it is likely that they co-existed with other Khajiit, nomadic or otherwise, who had reached Skyrim earlier.

Finally, the Snow Elves found themselves at odds with the Summerset Isles, due to religious and ideological disagreements. The Altmer of High Rock managed to persuade them to send representatives to Alinor, to honor the High King and keep tensions at a minimum.

**Religion**

With great thanks to a surviving Snow Elf, who does not wish to be identified, we know that the Snow Elves worshipped Auri-El at the top of their pantheon, followed by Y'ffre, Trinimac, Syrabane, and Phynaster. While other Aedra were probably worshipped, these five were of highest importance, and had great temples and chantries dedicated to them across Skyrim.

Auri-El

Auri-El was not a dragon to the Snow Elves, but a mighty figure, Aldmeri in appearance, holding aloft the sun. It was believed that the sun itself was the light of Auri-El; His light protected Snow Elves even in the bitter cold, particularly after snowfall. The light of Auri-El was also said to hold Daedra and their servants in check.

Snow Elves worshipped Auri-El in many ways, from making long and difficult pilgrimages to the Chantry of Auri-El, to practicing more mundane tasks such as archery in humble memory of the gift of Anui-El and the defeat of Lorkhan.

Auri-El would later find worship in an unexpected form, from within the Dragon Cults.

Y'ffre

Like the Bosmer, the Snow Elves revered Y'ffre. And while they did not adhere to a Green Pact as the Bosmer did, they treated the woods with utmost respect, taking plant life and wood only as needed. In turn they were blessed with abundant hunting, pockets of unlikely warmth and life in grottoes as far north as the Sea of Ghosts, and harmony with the spriggans.

Their center of worship was probably in the springs of Eastmarch, which were not all sulfur pools and barren dirt and rock in their time. In Eastmarch a tree ancient and unique among those of Skyrim can be found. Y'ffre was important to the Snow Elves wherever there were forests.

Trinimac

Men insist they, and they alone, hunted the mammoth. They will also insist that Snow Elves were weak and cowardly in the face of Atmoran invasion. Neither of these things are true.

Skyrim is a harsh land, and Trinimac taught pure strength and its temperance to the Snow Elves. Though the Snow Elves were at peace with their neighbors, routine mammoth hunts, conflicts with giants, and the occasional Daedric hordes inspired the Snow Elves to place high importance on Trinimac.

He was worshipped in the mountains, where those with the power to reach him would ascend to offer their prayers. He was also worshipped in the gentle foothills of mountains, because the Snow Elves wanted to ensure access to Trinimac for their less able-bodied kinsmer.

Syrabane

The Snow Elves dwelling in what is now Winterhold kept a large seaside temple that doubled as a center for learning. Mer would travel from all over Skyrim for the privilege of studying both the arcane and mundane realms in its halls.

Lack of Syrabane worship aside, the modern College of Winterhold is not all that dissimilar to the great temple of the past.

The location had a special advantage. The ports here granted access to and from High Rock and Artaeum.

Phynaster

There is little evidence to suggest how or where Phynaster was worshipped by the Snow Elves. But we know he was worshipped. We can speculate that the Snow Elves gave thanks to Phynaster for their long lives. They would have also honored the elderly of Mer and Betmer alike, and taken care to ensure that their passage to Aetherius was as comfortable as possible. All whose lives were shortened by illness or injury received special care and attention as well.

The age of other Snow Elven survivors comes as less of a shock knowing this Aedra was high in the Snow Elven pantheon. But it's also possible that Phynaster, Auri-El, or another Aedra chooses to preserve them for their own ends.

Alduin

Alduin was not worshiped by Snow Elves until the Nords began their conquest of Skyrim. Those who survived and were taken as slaves were also forced to worship the gods of the Nords. Alduin, who claimed to be the son of Auri-El, was thought by many desperate Snow Elves to be a fitting substitute. The seemingly ageless dragons and their rule over Man gave them a bitter sense of satisfaction in their prayers. Other Nordic gods would have been worshiped as well, but none were held as important as Alduin.

**Architecture**

The ancient buildings of the Snow Elves share many things in common with the architectural achievements of Altmer and Ayleids, including a love of knots, arches, and eagles.

Much of their architecture involved stone quarried from the mountains. It's possible that the Dwemer allowed them to take it, and if so this would be their only benign gift to the Snow Elves. City walls, houses, roads, and decorative walls and archways were mostly made from stone. It was even fashioned into pools for bathhouses.

While the forests were respected, some wood was taken to serve as building frames, roof houses, and build furniture and temporary structures.

Only places of particular importance and permanence, such as palaces and temples, were made entirely of rock. Imported Cyrodiil marble was enjoyed by the nobility, and moonstone and gold were favored for ornamental works.

The last remaining example of true Snow Elven architecture remains hidden, for good reason. But it is a beautiful place, made of smooth polished stone, and the windows and doors and thrones are decorated with the image of tall and elegant trees with curved boughs. This structure echoes of the Summerset Isles and Ayleid Cyrodiil.

**Food**

Given the availability of food, it is not surprising that the Snow Elven diet was similar to that of modern Nords.

Cows and goats had an important place as providers of milk and meat. It is likely that chickens were kept for their meat and eggs. Deer were eaten as well, and the meat of hunted wolves and bears did not go to waste. Even mammoth had a place on Snow Elven tables, if one was felled. In coastal areas and by rivers and lakes, Snow Elves enjoyed fish and mudcrab. All this meat and dairy provided much needed sustenance in the harsh lands of Skyrim.

For produce, the Snow Elves planted wheat, potatoes, leeks, and other things you might see farmed in Skyrim today. Tomatoes, grapes, and apples were imported from Cyrodiil and High Rock.

Snow Elves also kept bees for honey, raised spices native to Skyrim, and harvested sea salt.

The favorite dishes of Snow Elves included any that harkened back to the Summerset Isles. Fish and mudcrab from the sea were preferred, and grapes and apples were made into wine. Honey was a favorite sweetener.

That said, the Snow Elves grew fond of cow's milk, and it found its way into a number of stews and beverages. They even made cheese.

It is said that the Snow Elves found a method of keeping food cold and fresh for weeks at a time. Whether it involved bound frost atronachs or enchanted containers is unknown.

**Crafts**

Clothing

The light silks of the Summerset Isles were of little use in Skyrim. And though Snow Elves had incredible tolerance for the cold, they did not always like it. They sought warmth almost as much as other Mer, and enjoyed it greatly.

Cows were raised in part for their wool, though goat wool was more favorable for it stayed warm when wet. Hunters provided fur and hide from deer, wolves, bears, and mammoths. Of these, wolf fur was particularly useful; it repels water and ice. Dog fur would have served as well. And when softer material was called for, foxes and rabbits were used.

Once refined and dyed, these materials were made into various undergarments, trousers, and shirts. But their favorite piece of clothing was a nice, long robe or gown.

Warriors (particularly followers of Trinimac) and nobles could be seen in cloaks of bear skin. Lords, kinlords, kings, and important clergy could afford to line their winter wardrobes with snow hare or snow fox furs.

Note: Sabrecats were left alone in deference to the Khajiit of Skyrim. For a Mer to wear sabrecat was an insult. And it was a serious crime for Mer to kill a sabrecat that posed no threat to people. Among many reasons given, it was not unheard of for Pahmar (a large quadrupedal Khajiit) to be mistaken for sabrecats. Usually, such crimes were punished by other Snow Elves, with any combination of steep fines, imprisonment, or humiliating labor. In the most severe cases of illegal sabrecat killing, offending Mer were turned over to the Khajiit for judgment.

Armor and Weaponry

Steel, moonstone, and glass. These were essential in ancient Snow Elven arms and armor, just as they are in modern Altmeri craft.

Mammoth ivory in armor and weapons had a special significance, and was reserved for warriors skilled enough to take down mammoths or nobles rich enough to buy it.

The style of Snow Elven weaponry probably resembled ancient elven craft more than anything. Each piece would have been a work of art – probably one resembling a feather or wings – as much as it was a weapon. It would have been light enough for quick, precise, even elegant combat, while perfectly weighted and balanced to ensure lethal force where it was needed. Well-crafted bows were also valued in the hunt of large game.

Lightness and mobility were valued in Snow Elven armor, just as they were back on Summerset. And like on the isles, avian features were common in the armor of the most important guards and warriors. Images of feathers, beaks, and sharp eyes adorned helmets and pauldons.

Another important feature of Snow Elven arms and armor would have been the ability for it to hold enchantments. Moonstone and glass have long been a favorite of mer for this reason, but it is possible that ancient metals unique to Skyrim were valued for their ability to enhance frost magic.

Jewelry

Silver, moonstone, gold, and ivory were used to make pendants, circlets, and rings. Various gemstones were included in these works of art. Nobles and clergy favored mammoth ivory pieces with red rubies.

**Remnants of the Snow Elves**

One might think that there are no traces of Snow Elves left in Skyrim. There are, visible to all, but sadly they are unknown and misattributed to the Nords.

The Eldergleam

A certain tree in Eastmarch is known to Nords as the Eldergleam. They attribute its presence to Atmorans who are believed to have planted it as a sapling after arriving in Skyrim. However, the Nords themselves also state that the tree is older than metal. Unless the Eldergleam sapling had its origins in another tree far older than metal, this is impossible.

The Eldergleam resembles certain the trees of the Summerset Isles, the Valenwood, and Elsweyr more than any other foliage north of the Abecean. It is much more likely that it is of Merish origins, perhaps brought to Skyrim by the Snow Elves or the Khajiit.

The Eldergleam's sanctuary, once a center of Y'ffre and possibly Khenarthi worship, now plays host to Nords who use the grounds to worship Kyne.

Nordic Cities

How did all traces of a vast and prosperous empire disappear? The answer is that centers of Elven life were forcibly taken apart, brick by brick, and rebuilt. Every ancient Nordic city, temple, or barrow in Skyrim was built with the labor of Snow Elves.

The city of Windhelm itself was created entirely by Snow Elven slaves taken by Ysgramor. The Nords' own historians and bards boast of this, and it can be read in Songs of the Return. Today, Windhelm is decorated with ancient Snow Elven eagles carved of stone, for they might easily represent Kyne instead.

In the bowels of Nordic tombs, you can find the words of Snow Elves, from prayers to ancient graffiti to relatively newer curses against Nordic captors, carved into floors and walls. But these ancient Nordic sites, all save for the Skyforge, were built in the fashion of Nords, not Snow Elves.

The Skyforge

The Skyforge of Whiterun bears both the eagle and Aldmeri carved knotwork. Once it was a center of Snow Elven worship, an old shrine to the gods and ancestors, especially Auri-El. It was captured by Nords during their conquest. Their Snow Elven captives begged the Nords not to desecrate this holy site. In their desperation, they tried to tell the Nords it was cursed, that the gods would smite any who dared to intrude upon it. But the Nords captured the Skyforge and area surrounding it, then in insult built Jorrvaskr below the mighty eagle statue and used the fires of the forge to create their weapons.

To this day, Nords believe that the site was unreasonably feared by Snow Elves, and that anything feared by elves is worth keeping.


End file.
